This invention relates to an improvement to an air-dropped bomb, whereby the rate of spin of the bomb in the air is reduced, and to a method of attaining that objective (i.e., rate of spin reduction).
One of the many types of bombs is an air-droppable bomb of the anti-personnel type having a forward body section, and an aft fin section with a diameter. This type of bomb spins after it has been air-dropped; is armed internally by the spinning of the bomb; and, the completion of the arming depends upon the rate of spin of the bomb.
The bomb is very effectively used with low speed aircraft. However, with the advent and use of high speed aircraft, the use of this type of bomb is greatly reduced or, with very high speed aircraft, is entirely eliminated since the spin imparted to the bomb is dependent, among other factors, on the speed of the aircraft from which it is dropped.
It is here to be noted that the present structure of this bomb includes a disc of rigid material, i.e., stainless steel, which is fixedly and permanently attached to, and integrated with, the bomb between the forward body section and the aft fin section. The purpose of the disc is to obturate, or otherwise impede or retard, some of the air flow through the aft fin section to control the rate of spin and the completion of arming of the bomb. However, the metal disc is sized for use with low speed aircraft.
The currently existing problem is that, since the aircraft in the U.S. Government inventory are high speed or very high speed ones, none of these existing bombs can be safely used, because they would prematurely arm and detonate if dropped from these aircraft, thereby not accomplishing the purpose intended (i.e., injuring or killing personnel of a hostile nation). In addition, the use of these bombs, and the resultant premature arming and detonation, may cause extensive damage or destruction to high speed and very high speed aircraft dropping the bombs. Further, after premature detonation, these bombs may cause the undesired and unintended detonation of bombs dropped behind and after the lead bombs.
The obvious solution to this problem would appear to be the removal of the existing metal disc from each bomb, and the replacement of it with a properly sized one. As a practical matter, this is not feasible, because the metal disc can only be replaced by removing the aft fin section; and, in turn, this requires drilling out rivets on the fins, which is so hazardous that the U.S. Government prohibits it.
However, since the metal disc can be clipped (although destroyed thereby), and thereby can be removed from the bomb with safety, I have invented an improved disc which thereafter can be easily, and removably, attached to each of these existing bombs and, thereby, render these now useless bombs to bombs that can be used safely and effectively by high speed and very high speed aircraft.
I have, as a result, significantly advanced the state-of-the-art.